Workshop Panel Chair

To ensure the impartiality of the independent panel for each Pathways to Prevention (P2P) workshop, the Panel Chair is knowledgeable in the field of medical science under consideration but should neither be identified with an advocacy position regarding the workshop topic nor with research that may be presented to answer any of the workshop questions. Furthermore, the Panel Chair must have no vested interest in the topic under review. Any concerns about these restrictions and workshop activities should be conveyed to the Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) P2P Coordinator in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) ODP. All travel-related costs are covered by the NIH, which also provides clerical and logistical support. To maintain the independence of the panel, honoraria are not provided.

The Panel Chair’s responsibilities and time commitments:

Working Group Meeting

Attend the workshop Working Group meeting and carry the intent of the planners to the panel.

Collaborate with the Working Group to:

Finalize the workshop questions.

Finalize the workshop agenda.

Select the workshop date.

Discuss and prioritize panelist and speaker nominations.

The meeting requires 1 full day and 1 half day, along with travel to Bethesda, Maryland (costs covered by the NIH).

Evidence Report

The Panel Chair may be asked to provide an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) with direction for the scope and inclusion/exclusion criteria for the evidence report on behalf of the planners and the panel.

This requires a series of conference calls over several months.

The Panel

Work with the ODP P2P Coordinator to assign panel members to subcommittees based on their professional interests and the needs of the panel. Typically, each subcommittee addresses 1–2 workshop questions.

This requires a series of phone calls over the course of several months.

Pre-Workshop Panel Webinar

Chair the pre-workshop panel webinar approximately 6 weeks before the workshop.

The purpose of this webinar is to extensively discuss the AHRQ EPC evidence report and to review materials previously distributed to the panel, including speaker summaries and overview articles.

The Workshop

Collaborate with fellow panelists to prepare the draft panel report introduction and conclusions.

Lead and monitor all panel executive session discussions and writing activities; edit documents for content, clarity, and brevity.

As needed, provide leadership to help the panel reach consensus.

This requires 3 consecutive days, along with travel to Bethesda, Maryland (costs covered by the NIH). Please note that the draft workshop report writing process occurs during this compressed period of time.

Post-Workshop Activities

Collaborate with fellow panelists and the ODP P2P Coordinator to review and incorporate public comments into the draft and finalize the report.

Upon release of the final panel report, conduct a press telebriefing with fellow panelists detailing salient messages from the final report. NIH ODP communications staff will assist the panel in creating a press release.

Participate in scheduled media interviews.

This requires a series of phone calls and emails over a course of approximately 4 weeks.

P2P Workshop Participant Roles

NIH Office of Disease Prevention (ODP): The NIH ODP provides the leadership, infrastructure, funding, and coordination necessary to conduct P2P workshops. The P2P Coordinator is based within the NIH ODP.

IC Coordinator: The sponsoring NIH IC or Office designates an IC Coordinator who is responsible for defining the scope of the workshop and initiating the workshop planning process. The IC Coordinator is involved in the entire workshop process and chairs the organizational and Working Group meetings.

Organizational Meeting Attendees: Federal employees representing the relevant federal agencies and programs as well as representatives from across the NIH and the AHRQ will be in attendance. These participants decide:

If the format is suitable for the topic

If the timing is right for a P2P workshop on the topic

If the scope of the preliminary workshop questions is appropriate.

Working Group:Working Group members are nominated by the participants in the organizational meeting and sponsoring NIH ICs or Offices. They are content area experts from the federal government, academia, and clinical practice. They finalize the agenda and workshop questions, nominate speakers and panelists, select the workshop date, and are engaged in the workshop process from beginning to end.

AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC): After the questions have been finalized by the Working Group, an AHRQ EPC prepares the evidence report and provides it to the speakers and panel members approximately 6 weeks prior to the workshop.

Panel: The panel is an unbiased, independent group composed of 8-10 members that gives balanced, objective, and informed attention to the topic. The panel members must have no vested financial or intellectual interest in the topic under review.

Speakers: P2P workshop speakers are experts in the topic at hand who have published on the issue, have conducted research on the issue, and may have strong opinions or beliefs on the topic. These experts present information that directly addresses workshop questions.